In any case, after being a fox’s dad in one of his reincarnations, as a Phoenix’s dad this time around, An Ying could also be considered as well-experienced. In addition to accompanying it to play, he would also tell the Little Phoenix a bedtime story when it refuses to obediently go to bed.
“.…..with it’s close eyes, floating in the depths of the white clouds. The soft clouds all around, slowly lifts it up, as if floating in warm seawater, as it softly drifts into the distance……”
The Little Phoenix’s eyes were gently covered by An Ying’s hand while he spoke of this. The instant it’s line of sight was obscured, the man’s deep and low voice became even clearer. What’s more, the man’s warm hand, were like the soft clouds and sea in his story, causing the Little Phoenix to inevitably slow down his breathing, as well as loosen up it’s body.
“Drifting and floating, it faintly hears a beautiful song, which were like sounds of nature. Listening to it, places it’s heart at peace, that it couldn’t help but close it’s eyes……”
This adapted version of ‘The Adventures of Little Carp’ is a very efficacious sleep inducer when told by An Ying. The Little Phoenix unsuspectingly felt a rush of sleepiness, as well as a steady increase of a sense of security. A little while later, the Little Phoenix finally drifted into a sweet dream, and gradually fell into a deeper slumber.
An Ying gently moved his hand, and very carefully fished out the right wing, that the Little Phoenix was pressing underneath it, for fear that it’s blood circulation will be obstructed after being pressed for too long in it’s sleep.
The Little Phoenix didn’t even wake-up when it was moved. It continued it’s deep slumber, in that ‘sprawled out on one’s back’ type of posture, with it’s beak slightly opened. It even smacked it’s beak, as if it were dreaming of eating something delicious.
Faced by the adorable sleeping appearance of the Little Phoenix, An Ying quietly looked at it for a long time, and couldn’t resist from softly touching it’s soft little belly with his finger.
Maybe due to accidentally placing too much force, the slumbering Little Phoenix, who felt a disturbance in it’s sleep, flapped it’s little wing in annoyance, in an attempt to drive away the bad guy that dared to disturb it’s sleep. But since it slept really soundly, it only symbolically moved two times, before going back to sleep once more.
In the middle of the night, the sleeping Little Phoenix vaguely felt a little cold. So, it kicked with it’s little claws, and dazedly crawled onto An Ying with it’s eyes closed. It wasn’t until it had managed to crawl in between An Ying’s chest and quilt, did it only settle down and continue sleep.
The next morning, An Ying was woken up by the call of the Little Phoenix. The wide awake Little Phoenix drilled out from under the quilt, then hopped up and down on his chest while chirping.
“Chirp~!”
The Phoenix’s sound was naturally more pleasant to the ears than any bird. Such wake-up call naturally made An Ying very pleased. He had obviously woken up, but he still deliberately remained motionless. Thus, the Little Phoenix continued to chirp loudly, and even hopped all the way from An Ying’s chest to his stomach.
An Ying eventually couldn’t resist from sitting up. Seeing as he has woken up, the Little Phoenix immediately flapped it’s tiny wings and rushed straight into his arms, like a shot of very energetic little bullet. It then raised it’s head and looked at him with it’s sparkling eyes.
“Chirp chirp~!”
— Hungry! Want to eat! Fly high after eating!
The great Demon Emperor suddenly felt a slight headache.
Of course, even this headache was also covered in sweetness. Moreover, there really is profit in this investment, as the naturally hard to please Phoenix, has now become incredibly close to An Ying, and completely accepts all his acts of intimacy and touches. Looking back to the time it had just hatched, the Little Phoenix would still ignore An Ying whenever he reaches out to touch it. But now, when An Ying reaches out to the Little Phoenix, it will actively skip over to him and rub against his hand, enjoying the warmth from his fingertips.
The growth rate of young creatures has always been very fast. In just a single month’s time, the Little Phoenix’s tail feathers had already grown a bit. The red feathers were flowing with colorful dark patterns. Even though it is still merely in it’s fledgling state, but one can already visualize how beautiful it will look in the future.
The narcissistic trait of the Phoenix had accordingly became more and more apparent. The Little Phoenix especially liked it’s little tail feathers that had just grown, and would even be very careful during mealtime, lest any crumbs or stains would fall on it. If food crumbs were to accidentally get stuck on it’s fluff, it will stop eating and tidy it up at once, and would even comb it’s feathers four to five times everyday.
The Little Phoenix’s flying ability has also grown smoother, and could already fly onto the Chinese parasol tree with great ease, where it would energetically scamper among the lush branches, looking like a little red ball of fluff rolling around in the distance.
However, it soon enough experienced the very first embarra.s.sing situation in this Phoenix’s life, — In the process of drilling through the branches, it’s round body unexpectedly got stuck between the tree’s branches, and was unable to break free.
Having dealt with the affairs in the Demon Realm, An Ying, who immediately rushed over to find the Little Phoenix, really couldn’t hold back his laughter, upon seeing it’s small b.u.t.t stuck in a tree branch from the distance.
Not only could there actually be a bird that would completely be stuck up the tree, but it was also the Phoenix, known as the King of birds. No one would have believe such a tale. The very proud Little Phoenix also felt very embarra.s.sed. After hearing An Ying’s laughter, it’s face became even redder, as it relentlessly flapped it wings and struggled. The newly grown fluffy tail feathers could be seen moving about, when combined with those small but extremely adorable limpid gaze, made the great Demon Emperor suffer a strike in his heart.
An Ying s.p.a.ced out due to it’s adorableness. However, during this short period of s.p.a.cing out, the Little Phoenix had anxiously exerted itself one more time, and forcibly freed itself from in between the branches.
These Chinese parasol trees, that An Ying replanted into the Demon Realm, aren’t ordinary Chinese parasol trees, but those that had been imbued with immortal power. Not only does it contain lingqi, but it was also incredibly hard. The Little Phoenix, which struggled free regardless of the severity, broke the branches and chafed it’s tail at the same time, causing quite a few of the newly grown tail feathers to fall off.
This is the first time the Little Phoenix felt pain ever since it broke out from it’s sh.e.l.l.
Only upon processing the sensation of pain, did it turn to look at it’s injured tail and missing tail feathers with hindsight, and dazedly looked at it for two seconds. The moment it got over it’s daze, the pair of big eyes couldn’t help but fill with tears.
The tiny fledgling Phoenix, curled up into a ball, on the branch, in an extremely aggrieved manner, crying in an especially heart-breaking manner.
Teardrops fell one after another, pitter-pattering onto it’s chest. On the other hand, An Ying, who had already been scared out of his wits, immediately flew up to the tree, to check the extent of the Little Phoenix’s injury.
The Little Phoenix turned to check it’s tail while crying. Seeing a jarring-looking long blood hole on the place of it’s originally beautiful tail, with very irregular form and varying depths. That deepest wound looks quite severe, with the flesh rolled outwards, that exposed the inner pink flesh, which looks very painful to the see.
An Ying’s entire heart felt very painful, the Little Phoenix was subsequently picked up very carefully. He used teleport in quick succession, to bring it back to the inner palace hall at the fastest speed, with somewhat shaky hands.
“It’s alright Tong Tong. Don’t be afraid, don’t be afraid. The pain will be gone soon.”
An Ying coaxed in a soft and low voice, while placing the Little Phoenix on the couch, then with a flip of his right hand, a water lily with a slight blue sheen unknowingly appeared between his finger from whence.
The water lily instantly shattered with a pinch, and were all applied on the Little Phoenix’s injury. At the same time as this, An Ying lowered his head and chanted a spell in the midst of the Little Phoenix’s inattentiveness, then raised his head and drew the Little Phoenix into his arms after completing the chant.
Pitter-patter.
Crystal clear teardrops fell onto the back of An Ying hand, making him incredibly distressed, as if a hole has been punched through his heart. The Little Phoenix was actually very distressed over it’s tail feathers, and sobbingly said: “Feather, the feathers, have fallen off, wu wu……”
While saying this, it’s tears couldn’t help but continue to pitter-patter down, causing the fluffy chest to be completely soak with tears. It originally greatly cherished it’s newly grown tail feathers, but it unexpectedly lost several of it this time. The thought of turning into a bald Phoenix in the future made it extremely forlorn.
“Don’t worry, new one’s will grow back very soon,” An Ying lovingly kissed the Little Phoenix’s forehead, “Believe me.”